


A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Baxter Building

by djcati



Category: Fantastic Four (Comicverse), Marvel 616
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-28
Updated: 2012-10-28
Packaged: 2017-11-17 06:30:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 576
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/548619
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/djcati/pseuds/djcati
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>For once, this REALLY wasn't Franklin's fault.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Baxter Building

Franklin's fingers twitched in his jacket pockets, hands shoved there to avoid temptation. He wasn't supposed to use his powers outside of his closet universe, nope, not ever. (Unless there were giant bugs, maybe, although even the average New York cockroach didn't count.) Besides, he wasn't in costume, and everyone knew you couldn't do superhero stuff unless you were in costume.

He glanced at Leech, who stared back wide-eyed, then carefully peered around the convenience store shelf to get a better look at the situation up front. Same as a minute ago: a tall guy in a dorky-looking Hallowe'en mask, holding a pistol in the face of a trembling store clerk. The clerk was counting out bills from the cash register, not quick enough for the bad guy's liking if the swearing was anything to go by.

Oh, man. Okay. Maybe if he just ... turned the gun into a toy? That was just a little thing. Maybe that would be okay. But how? He'd never done something like that intentionally before -- the Norman Osborn thing was _totally_ not his fault, he didn't _mean_ to shoot him -- and anyway, what if the bad guy's gun wasn't real in the first place? Uncle Ben had told him about people using fake guns to scare people. What if trying to turn an already-fake gun fake actually made it real and then-- whoa! That could end badly. Besides, the guy might not even notice him changing the gun. He probably wouldn't _actually_ shoot it unless the clerk stopped counting money, right? Maybe he could turn it into something else entirely. A ... banana! Yeah, worth a shot. Plus, Uncle Johnny would find that _hilarious_.

He turned back to Leech and whispered, "Power off. I'm gonna try something."

"Off," Leech whispered back in confirmation, and nodded.

With a quick grateful grin, Franklin leaned around the shelf again and squinted at the gun, focusing on -- nothing?

"Wait, what?"

The bad guy had the same reaction, only with a lot more cursing.

Leech peered around Franklin and pointed. Following his friend's direction, Franklin spotted a blur of motion at the counter just as Leech yelled, "Superhero!"

The money was suddenly back in the register, which just as suddenly closed; by the time Franklin heard the _ding!_ , the robber was on the floor, still yelling curses, with his hands and ankles tied up. A white-haired teenage boy stood over him, smug expression on his face.

The teen glanced at the clerk. "Dude, haven't you called the cops yet? Come on." Then he noticed Franklin and Leech. "You brats okay?"

"Whoa," was Franklin's response.

"Whoa," agreed Leech.

"No time for autographs," the teen said with a smirk and a wave. After confirming the store clerk was on the phone to the cops, he turned as if to leave ... then frowned down at his feet. "What the hell? Hey!" He glared at the clerk, who faltered mid-call. "You got power dampeners back there? That's _so_ not cool."

"Oops," said Leech. Franklin saw him frown in concentration for a second. Then he called, "Sorry!"

The teen scowled at him. Franklin and Leech scowled back until the teen rolled his eyes, muttered, "Whatever," and disappeared in another blur.

The store clerk finally hung up the phone and eyed the still-cursing bad guy. He was struggling, but his restraints held.

Franklin looked at Leech, then back to the door. After a moment: "I totally could've handled it, though."

Leech nodded.


End file.
